Colnago V5Rs first-ride review: it feels just like the V4Rs… but is that enough?

The Colnago V5Rs has launched as the successor to the brand’s most successful race bike ever.

Of course, you could (rightly, in my view) argue that Tadej Pogačar and his UAE Team Emirates XRG teammates are the main reason for the success of the V4Rs.

However, the old bike is certainly a hard act to follow – it made our 2023 Bike of the Year shortlist, in a particularly strong year for the race bike category.

Colnago seems to think so, too, because while a complete V5Rs is brand new in practically every respect (only the brand’s CC.01 cockpit remains), it strikes a remarkably similar profile to the V4Rs.

According to Colnago’s head of research and development, Davide Fumagalli, neither UAE Team Emirates XRG nor UAE Team ADQ requested any major changes to the bike, preferring to tweak a winning recipe than revolutionise it.

It will come as no surprise, then, that the V5Rs felt incredibly similar to the V4Rs when I gave it a first ride around Lake Garda in Italy prior to its launch. 

This is a good thing – the V4Rs remains an excellent race bike – but it strikes me as a shame that neither Colnago nor UAE were brave enough to push the boundaries in what is set to be an era-defining period for professional racing.

• Read more about the launch of the new Colnago V5Rs

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Colnago V5Rs in a nutshell

• The lightest frameset Colnago has ever produced
• 9 watts faster than the V4Rs
• Developed using same process as the Y1Rs aero bike
• Tweaked geometry with two fork rakes
• Maintains 32mm tyre clearance
• Switches to a BSA bottom bracket
• Seven complete builds, starting from €10,000

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Early analysis: an all-rounder for all-rounders – and everyone else

Despite being asked by its sponsored teams not to change the V4Rs too much, the V5Rs is now positioned by Colnago as a true all-round race bike, moving away from the V4Rs’ relatively lightweight stance. 

In short, the V5Rs is designed to take on all-round race bikes such as the Specialized Tarmac SL8, Cannondale SuperSix Evo and Pinarello Dogma F, while the Y1Rs remains a choice for flatter, faster days.

However, Fumagalli says to pigeonhole either bike for a specific scenario or rider would be unwise, suggesting rider fit has a key role to play in what’s faster.

“The position of the rider matters more than [a simple question of] aero vs lightweight bike,” he says. “In fact, the Y1Rs is around 1.5cm shorter than the V5Rs and, of course, it is more aero.

“But, specific riders may be faster on the V5Rs than on the Y1Rs, even though the Y1Rs is more aggressive.” 

Fumagalli asserts that the V5Rs’ “more comfortable” front end is also important – given that riders (often Pogačar) are attacking further from the finish line to win than ever before. He says this, in combination with the slightly more relaxed geometry, can help them hold their most aerodynamic and powerful position for longer than they could on the Y1Rs. 

The term ‘horses for courses’ would seem to ring true more so now than ever, when the details really matter. In the wind tunnel, a true aero bike will be faster – but that ignores the rider’s individual needs, as well as the demands of the course. 

Of course, this is relevant for racers such as Pogačar, but arguably even more so for Colnago’s paying customers, the vast majority of whom would be better served by the V5Rs than the Y1Rs.

That said, the V5Rs is 9 watts faster at 50kph than the V4Rs, thanks to its slimmed-down frontal profile, and is almost 150g lighter – yet remains as stiff as the V4Rs.

To get there, the bike benefited from the same development process as the Y1Rs, and was even tested in the wind tunnel at the same time as the brand’s aero bike.

Colnago V5Rs first-ride impressions

A rolling 70km route around Lake Garda provided my first taste of the V5Rs, circling between the towns of Desenzano and Salò. 

Taking in 900m of ascent up and around the surrounding hills, the majority of the roads were generally very smooth (as you might expect in this affluent area of Italy), but occasionally peppered with the odd pothole and aged section – almost perfect testing conditions for a bike such as this.

The Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 / Vision SC45 specification (one of Colnago’s most sensible and widely available builds, at €10,800 / $11,000 / £8,999.99) was standard, aside from the inline seatpost – a request met to suit my bike fit.

Overall, I’m confident Colnago’s attempt to retain the V4Rs’ characteristics has proven successful. 

The V5Rs feels agile, but very predictable.

Initially, it caught me out – having tested the Orbea Orca and Look 785 Huez (both of which are dedicated lightweight racers), I found the steering and responsiveness a little tame in comparison. I needed to apply slightly more concerted effort to effect a turn than I’d expected.

But this is the balance Colnago intended to strike, and might well make sense for Pogačar, who has a particularly forward-oriented position (not to mention an ‘all-action’ riding style) for which a slightly less twitchy front end could be advantageous. 

It also felt satisfyingly efficient when climbing and on flatter sections, and delivered good compliance in the context of a race bike in favourable test conditions. 

That said, I reflected very similarly when reviewing the V4Rs. Had I not known I was riding its successor with Colnago’s claims ringing in my ears, I might not have noticed a tangible difference.

Colnago V5Rs initial verdict

The Colnago V5Rs represents a considered evolution of the V4Rs – one that feels focused on retaining what was good about the old bike, rather than pushing the boundaries of all-round race bike design.

The V4Rs’ track record is proven, after all, while the changes Colnago has made should make the V5Rs an even more potent racer.

Proof of the pudding will come from more in-depth testing, plus how often we see Tadej Pogačar raising his arms aloft aboard it.